Justice for Zelda: Man who drown dog receives maximum sentence

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William David Meek, who pleaded no contest to felony animal cruelty in the 2014 drowning of a border collie named Zelda, has been sentenced to three years in county jail. Meek, 47, entered the non-negotiated plea in May, and Sacramento Superior Court Judge Ben Davidian imposed the maximum sentence Friday. In addition, Meek cannot own, possess, maintain, live with or care for animals for 10 years.

Meeks drown his girlfriend’s dog, Zelda, a 13-year-old border collie by deliberately drowning her in the American River, near East Sacramento, by placing a bowling ball and large river rock in a bag and tying the 25 pounds of weight to one end of Zelda’s leash and the other end of the leash to the dog’s collar, which he tightly adjusted around her snout.